CFAT cheat sheet

Analogies: identify the relationship (e.g., part-to-whole, cause-effect, synonym/antonym, function, degree) before evaluating answer choices; the correct pair must share the same relationship and same direction.

Antonyms: choose the answer that is most nearly opposite in meaning; eliminate choices that are synonyms or unrelated, and beware of near-opposites that differ in intensity or connotation.

Synonyms: select the answer closest in meaning; consider the word's part of speech and typical context, and reject choices that are only loosely associated.

Sentence completion: read the entire sentence, predict a word for the blank, then match; signal words such as 'although', 'because', 'therefore', and 'despite' indicate contrast or continuation.

Word analogies often use specific relationship types: worker-tool, item-category, cause-effect, and sequence; map the first pair into a sentence and apply it to each option.

Reading comprehension: main idea is the central point covering the whole passage; supporting details answer who/what/when/where/why; inference must be logically supported by the text, not merely plausible.

For vocabulary items, use word roots and prefixes (e.g., bene- good, mal- bad, ante- before, post- after) to infer meaning when the word is unfamiliar.

Double-blank sentence equivalence: both blanks must fit the sentence's logic simultaneously; test each pair as a unit and reject pairs where one word conflicts with the other or with the sentence's tone.

Mental rotation: track a single distinctive feature (a notch, colored corner, or asymmetry) through the rotation; mirrored versions cannot be produced by rotation alone.

Paper folding: unfold step by step in reverse order; each fold doubles the number of holes and reflects hole positions across the fold line.

Cube nets: a valid net has six squares and folds without overlap; opposite faces are separated by exactly one square in a straight line on the net.

Cube face adjacency: faces that share an edge on the net are adjacent on the cube; faces separated by one square in a row or column are opposite.

Pattern completion: identify the rule of the sequence (rotation, reflection, translation, or alternating change) and apply it to the missing element.

Hidden figures: scan for the target shape's outline embedded in a complex drawing; the target may be rotated but not resized or distorted.

Spatial visualization: when assembling or disassembling objects, count visible and hidden blocks systematically; a stack of n blocks has n(n+1)/2 blocks if built in triangular layers.

Mirror images: a reflection reverses left-right orientation but preserves up-down; a rotation preserves orientation, so a rotated shape is not a mirror image.

Arithmetic word problems: translate the text into an equation; define the unknown, identify the operation, and check units before computing.

Percent problems: part = percent × whole; percent increase = (new − old) / old × 100; percent decrease uses the same formula with a negative change.

Rate problems: distance = rate × time; for work problems, rate = 1/time and combined rate = sum of individual rates.

Ratio and proportion: set up equivalent fractions and cross-multiply; for part-to-part ratios, the total number of parts equals the sum of the ratio terms.

Averages: average = sum / count; to find a missing value, use sum = average × count and subtract known values.

Number series: check differences, ratios, alternating patterns, and squares/cubes; common sequences include arithmetic (+d), geometric (×r), and Fibonacci-style (each term = sum of previous two).

Logical reasoning: for syllogisms, draw Venn diagrams; a conclusion is valid only if it must be true in every arrangement consistent with the premises.

Data interpretation: read axis labels and units carefully; compute totals, differences, and percentages from the chart, and watch for misleading scales.